Wheelbarrow attachment



Jilly 1, 1930- w. A. PARSONS 1 WHEELBARROW ATTACHMENT" I v J Filed July 27,; 1927 F. L; max;

' INVENTO ATTORNEYS Patented July 1, 1930 Parent oFFicE WILLIAM A. PARSONS, or Tom ATKINSON, WISCONSIN wH ELBARnoW ATTACHMENT Application filed July 27, 1 927. Serial No. 208,749.

My invention relates to improvements in The wheel 1O handles 11, handle supportwheelbarrow attachment.

The object of this invention is to provide means for enlarging the capacity of awheelbarrow for conveying light materials such as straw, leaves or shavings.

Further objects are to provide a whe.el

barrow with a quick detachable extension body adapted to be supported in part by an ordinary wheelbarrow body and in part by the handles of the wheelbarrow; to pro'-, vide means for fastening. the extension body to the handles in such a manner that it can be quickly released and re-engaged; to pro- 1 vide means for interlocking the extension body with the ordinary body in such a manner that when the fastenings are released the extension body may be either disengaged or tilted to a dumping position; to provide 539 a wheelbarrow with an extension body adapted to be'supported in a normal p0sition'of use above the'wheel in its forward portion and upon or substantially upon the handles in its rear portion; and in general,

to provide means whereby the body of a wheelbarrow may be extended vertically and also extended horizontally in all directions temporarily when it is desired to use the wheelbarrow for carrying light and bulky materials.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a wheelbarrow with my improved attachment applied thereto in position for use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with a portion of the permanent body partially broken away to show the interlocking connection of the extension with such permanent body.

Figure 3 is an enlarged View of the handle engaging fastenings, the handles being shown in cross section.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the handle and associated parts for operating the fastenings shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Like parts are identified by the same. reference characters throughout the. several 0 views.

ing looks or braces 12 and the permanent body 13 may conform generally to ordinary parts in the construction of wheelbarrows and may be formed of any suitable material and of any desired size'and shape, except as hereinafter specified.

For convenience in description, the end of the body 13 closest the wheel will be referred to as the front end. The front end wall is provided with a pair of apertures 15 and the handles 11 are provided with metallic brackets 16 having downwardly and inwardly inclined inner plates 17 which have suitable apertures 18 to receive a locking or latch bolt 19 as clearly indicated in Figure 3.

The extension body is preferably of a generally rectangular form, the outer walls being composed of side bars 25 and 26 suitably connected in spaced relation. to each other, to end posts 27 and intermediate posts or blocks 28. -The pairs of bars are connected with each other by corresponding pairs of front and rear bars 2 9 and 30 and the upper and thelower bars may also be connected by any suitable wall such for example as a foraminous screen or wire net 32. The bottom of the extensionbody will also preferably be provided with intermediate cross bars 33 and 34, which are connected with each other on each side of the body 13 by frame bars 35. Vhere the frame ofthe bodyis formed of wood, the frame bars 35 will preferably be connected to the cross bars at each end by metal connecting pieces 38 having offset end portions extencL ing under the ends of the bars 35 and over the cross bars 33, respectively, theintermediate portion extending vertically in each case between the end of the bar 35 and one 96 side of the cross 'bar[3 3 (or 34). The cross bar 34 has attached to its lower surface a pair of metal-plates 40'the outer ends of which have downwardly andinwardly extending hooks "41 adapted to engage in the apertures 15, formed in the front wall of the permanent body 13. These hooks are so curved as to allow the extension body to tilt over the wheel to ajdumping position or to be tilted and lifted from the permanent body when it is desired to remove the extension body.

The lower bar 30 of the rear wall is provided with a depending flange or extension bar 45 to which latch mountings are secured near its respective ends. The length of the flange or bar a5 is such as to allow the bar to pass between the handles 11 when the extension body is in position for use. 7

Each of the latch mountings comprises a plate 46 adapted to be connected by screws or bolts with the bar or flange 45 and having outwardly bent ends 48 and 4:9 suitably apertured to receive a latch bolt 50 and constituting latch supporting projections or ears. A spring 51, coiled about each latch bolt, abuts the car 48 of the latch mounting and presses against a cross pin or flange 52 on the bolt 50. The spring is a compression spring and therefore tends to urge the latch bolt outwardly or toward the associated handle bar and the latch bolt is adapted to be thus forced into the aperture 18 of the associated member 17 of the bracket 16. v

The latches are connected by a chain or equivalent flexible connection 55 which passes through a shank 56 of a latch operat ing handle 57. This latch operating handle is swiveled or rotatively connected with the bar or flange 45 as best shown in Figure i, a metal wear plate 58 being preferably interposed. V V

The arrangement is such that the outward movement of the latch bolts will be limited by the latch mounting ears 49, whereby the latch bolts will be held in such a position that when the extension body is being adjusted to the permanent body 13 by engagement with the hooks 41, it may be held in a tilted position and then swung downwardly at its rear end until the ends of the latch bolts engage the inclined surfaces 17 of the handle brackets 16. Thereupon a continued downward movement of the rear wall of the extension body will result in the latch bolts being forced inwardly against the tension of their springs 51 until the latch bolts register with the holes 18 in said inclined wall surfaces 17 The springs will then automatically force the bolts into these holes thereby fastening the extension body to the handles 11.

When it is desired to release the extension body, the latch operating handle 57 will be rotated to cause the chain to wind upon its shank or hub 56 and thus retract the latch bolts until the rear wall of the extension body can be lifted preparatory to disengaging the hooks 41 from the permanent body.

The extension body will be provided with a bottom except in the space between the bars 35, which space registers with the permanent body 13. The bottom of the other portions of the extension body may be formed of any suitable material, preferably formanious, suchfor example as wire netting, whereby the extension body may be of light weight in proportion to its capacity.

It will be observed that my improved extension body may be quickly attached and detached and that owing to its'light weight, it may be carried from'place to place independently of the wheelbarrow and that it may, therefore, .be made easily available whenever occasion may require.

I claim:

1. A wheelbarrow having a permanent body provided with apertures in its front wall'in combination with a detachable extension body having a bottom projecting in all directions beyond the permanent body, and provided with an intermediate cross bar having downwardlyv and forwardly curved hooks intermediate of the ends of the bar and adapted to loosely engage in said holes, and to allow forward tilting movements of the detachable body while in such engagement, said detachable body being normally securely interlocked by said hooks with the permanent body and removable only by vertical movement while so tilted to a predetermined extreme position.

2. A wheelbarrow having a permanent body provided with apertures in its front wall, and a set of handle bars, in combination with a superposed detachable extension body having a bottom provided with rectangular framing enclosing a central space substantially equal to the dimensions of the permanent body, and open to afford access to the permanent body, a set of curved hook armsconnected with said framing and engageable in the wall apertures of the permanent body, said hook arms being formed to maintain such engagement during forwardly tilting movements of the extension body, spring actuated means for connecting said detachable body with the handle bars to prevent accidental tilting movements, and a rotative handle operatively attached to and adapted for releasing the connecting means to allow the extension body to be tilted to a dumping position with the hooks oscillating in said apertures.

WILLIAM A. PARSONS. 

